Dual fuel carburetion



June 15, 1954 T. D. FENLEY 2,681,212

DUAL FUEL CARBURETION Filed May 16 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l E r-E INVENTOR.

By Tim/as .27. f'e/z/ey J/Jj 5W 3% 4:

17:70 r/ze y.

Patented June 15, 1954 UNITED STATEfi T ENT OF F ICE Claims.

This invention relates to dual fuel carburetion in dual carburetors and more particularly to a supply of methanol or methanol and water as a supplemental fuel to the normal use of gasoline.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a kit which will inexpensively and easily convert a regular dual carburetor to the use of dual fuels.

Another object of the present invention is to allow high compression engines to operate on low octane gasoline by automatically feeding methanol, methanol and water or other additives to the mixture chamber of the carburetor, to increase the overall octane rating of the fuel mixture.

Still another object of the present invention is to allow truck and other heavy duty motors to receive the benefit of water injected with the fuel, Which acts as a carbon deposit remover while the motor is in normal operation, thus saving costly loss of use of the motor while undergoing repair for carbon deposit removal.

Still another object of the present invention is to allow a leaner gasoline mixture to be burned where richer mixtures were employed for cooling the combustion chamber and hot spots.

And still another object of the present invention is to provide the feeding of auxiliary liquids or fuels to internal combustion engines for the purpose of suppressing engine detonation and for increasing power delivery of the engine by means of an inexpensive conversion kit.

Other objects of this invention will be pointed out in part and become apparent in part in the following specification and claims.

The feeding of auxiliary liquids, such as Water, alcohol, methanol, or the like, to internal combustion engines for the purpose of suppressing engine detonation, removing carbon deposits, increasing power delivery, mixing low octane fuel with an additive, is well known. However, in the past carburetors were originally designed and constructed to inject dual fuels.

The present invention contemplates a kit, consisting of the several parts which can be attached to existing carburetors without the necessity of drilling or tapping holes or modifying the existing carburetor in any manner except to add the parts comprising the kit. The conversion is thus made inexpensively and easily. In times of gasoline shortages, this conversion possesses a distinct advantage to passenger cars. In normal times trucks and racing cars may take advantage of the conversion.

The conversion is made in such a manner as to allow the acceleration pump to produce a'predetermined amount of auxiliary fuel wheregasoline was heretofore employed, when the accelerator is thrust or rapidly depressed.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts, In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view, with some parts shown in section for clarity, of the assembled conversion kit, ready to be attached to a standard carburetor.

Figure 2 is a plan view, showing the assembled conversion kit attached to a standard dual. fuel carburetor.

Figure 3 is a side sectional View of a standard) carburetor with the conversion kit attached.

Figure 4; is a view similar to Figure Bshowing the dual fuel passageways.

Referring to Figure 1, wherein is shown the assembled unit as it is when ready for attachment to a standard carburetor, reference character I l represents an auxiliary fuel bowl rectangular in shape provided with square buttons l2 having: tapped holes l3 adapted to receive screws l4 which removablyhold the bowl cover I5v in place.

1 An air vent It is inserted in cover I5.

A shaft I? mounted in side wall I8 of bowl H pivotally carries a float 20 having a. dependent arm 2|. A standard pipe fitting 22 is mounted in wall 23 of bowl ll. Said fitting 2'2 is adapted to act as a shut off valve in the auxiliary fuel line when valve stem is is acted .uponvby arm 21. This occurs when the fuel in bowl I l is highcausing float. 23 to pivot around shaft ll. When the fuel in bowl H is low, float 2!} will take arm ll .9 away from valve stem 24 thereby allowingv the pressure of the fuel in the supply line to urge valve stem 24 out of engagement with the valve seat in fitting 22.

A supply tube 25 provided with a longitudinal passageway 25 is attached to wall 27 of: bowl ll so that the fuel in bowl I i may freely'pass through orifice 28 in wall 27 to passageway 26. Trans-- verse passageways 5 and 6 are provided to ac-- commodate transfer plugs presently to bends-- scribed and allow communication with passageway 25. The standard drain plugs in the standard commercial carburetor are removed. In their stead transfer plugs Bil are substituted. They-act to hold the assembled unit in place andprovide. means for the fuel to travel to the spray bars. The transfer plugs 38 consist of a hexagon head 3|, a shoulder 32 adapted. to accommodate a washer 33, a reducedneck portion 3 S provided with a series of ports 35 and an enlarged thread. portion 313. Said threads.36 are identical with the threads on the drain plugs. A conduit 31 centrally located in the threaded portion 36 is reduced in neck portion 34 and communicates with ports 35.

Transfer tubes 40 consist of tubing having reduced outside diameters 4| and 42 on either end. A passageway 43 is located centrally throughout the length of tube 46. Reduced diameter 42 is adapted to snugly fit in conduit 31.

A washer M is provided for use against the end of reduced diameter 4!. Another washer 45 fits snugly over reduced diameter 32. A spring 46 acts on washer 45 and the shoulder 23 created by reducing the diameter of tube 40. Still another washer E9 is provided to fit over threaded ortion 36.

Referring to Figure 2 wherein reference character 50 represents the conventional fuel bowl of a standard carburetor. Threads 35 of transfer plugs 35 fit in the thread holes 5| formally occupied by the standard drain plugs. The reduced portion 41 of transfer tubes 49 and washer i l-are held tightly in main jet plugs 52 by means of springs 46.

Figures 3 and 4 show how main jets 52 communicate with spray bars 53 of a standard carburetor.

The manner in which the conversion kit modifies the standard carburetor will now be explained to more readily understand the adaptation of dual fuel to presently be described in conjunction with Figures 3 and 4.

Fuel bowl l contains the normal gasoline supp1y ordinarily contained in bowl 5% Bowl 53 contains the auxiliary fuel, such as for example, methanol or methanol and water.

Standard pipe fitting 22 connects the normal gasoline supply line (not shown) to bowl ll. When bowl H is full of gasoline, float 2t rides high causing arm 2! to hold valve stem 24 against the valve seat located in fitting 22; thereby shutting off the supply of gasoline. When bowl ll contains a reduced amount of gasoline, fioat 28 rides low. Arm 2| is pivoted away from valve stem 2 permitting the gasoline in the supply line to force valve stem 24 away from the valve seat in fitting 22; thereby allowing gasoline to flow into bowl I I.

The gasoline in bowl H travels through orifice 28 in wall 2?, to passageway 26 in supply tube 25, thence around reduced neck 3 through ports 35 into conduit 3'! and on into passageway ie of transfer tube All to main jets 52. These main jets 52 would normally supply the gasoline for motor idling. In the conversion these main jets continue to supply the gasoline for motor idling even though the main gasoline supply emanates from the auxiliary bowl H.

Referring to Figure 3 wherein is shown a commercial carburetor in idling condition. Reference character indicates the main body por tion containing the fuel bowl 50, the venturi 6!, and the spray bars 53. Mounted on top of the main body portion 69 is the air intake dome holder 62, choke lever 53, acceleration pump cover 64, and the auxiliary fuel supply connection 65. Attached to the bottom of main body portion 66 is the carburetor base 66 containing a mixing chamber 61, a throttle valve 58, an idle mixture adjusting screw 10, and power valve H. The face 12 of base 66 attaches to the manifold of the gasoline engine.

In idling condition the throttle plate 88 is closed causing the manifold vacuum acting through passageway 73 to close power valve ll wherein valve 14 rests on valve seat 15 thereby preventing the auxiliary fuel in bowl 50 from reaching the engine. The regular gasoline supply located in the auxiliary fuel bowl it will reach main jets 52 through the kit parts previously described in connection with Figures 1 and 2. The fuel passing through main jet orifice it into idle tube T1, idle jet 18 of spray bar 53, aspirating nozzle 8|), idle passageway 8!, discharges through idle discharge hole, upper, 82 and idle discharge hole, lower 83 and on to the manifold.

Referring to Figure 4 wherein is shown the moving parts in power condition, throttle valve 58 is open cutting off the vacuum from the manifold and allowing spring 85 of power jet "H to raise valve It away from valve seat '15. The auxiliary fuel in bowl 5!] is now free to flow into power jet passageway 86, orifice 81, passageway 88, high speed gas restriction area 90, high speed passageway e: and high speed discharge nozzle 92 into mixing chamber 6'! thence to the engine manifold.

The conventional float arrangement generally found in standard carburetor construction is shown in Figure 4. It consists of a float $5 attached to a bell crank lever 96 pivotally mounted on a shaft Ell housed in an arm 98 depending from dome holder 52. A pipe fitting mil provided with a valve seat is set in the supply line having a pipe attachment ml in dome holder 52. A valve N32 is forced against its valve seat by one arm of bell crank lever 95 when float 95 rides high due to a high level of fuel in bowl 56. When the fuel level in bowl 5%) is low, float 9t rides low, pivoting bell crank lever 96 away from valve [62, thereby allowing the pressure of the fuel to push the valve me away from its seat. The bowl then fills with fuel. In ordinary operation the fuel would flow into main jet 52 and past power jet M on the power drive. It will he noted that this invention contemplates the fuel from this bowl 5!! to still be used on power drive but the fuel is an additive. Transfer tube fill delivers the normal fuel supply to main jet 52 cutting off the fuel supply from bowl 50.

The conventional accelerator pump located within cover 64 takes the same fuel as found in bowl 56, because no structural change is made in the standard carburetor. Therefore, the present invention contemplates that the accelerator pump will use the auxiliary fuel. Rapid throttling will therefore use the additive or auxiliary fuel not gasoline or idling fuel.

Having shown and described my invention in a preferred embodiment, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown because slight variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. For use with an internal combustion engine carburetor having an air intake and Venturi system combined with a throttle valve and a fuel bowl in which are normally provided a main jet and a drain plug in alignment, an attachment Ior ready application to convert said carburetor to a dual fuel type carburetor which comprises a fuel supply tank, a transfer tube having an end portion for fuel tight engagement with said main jet in said carburetor bowl, an auxiliary fuel bowl provided with a float system, a supply line from the fuel supply tank to the auxiliary fuel bowl, 2. supply tube having a passageway communicating with the auxiliary fuel bowl, a. transfer plug provided with a conduit which is interposed between the supply tube and the transfer tube in fuel tight engagement, said transfer plug being accommodated in the space normally occupied by the drain plug.

2. For use with an internal combustion engine carburetor having an air intake and V enturi system combined with a throttle valve and a fuel bowl in which are normally provided main jets and drain plugs in alignment, an attachment for ready application to convert said carburetor to a dual fuel type carburetor which comprises an auxiliary fuel bowl having a float system, transfer tubes having end portions for fuel tight engagement with the main jets in said carburetor bowl, a supply tube provided with a passageway communicating with the auxiliary fuel bowl, transverse passageways in said supply tube pas sageway in alignment with said transfer tubes,

transfer plugs provided with ports and conduits located in said transverse passageways, the transfer tubes engaging said conduits, said ports in fluid communication with said supply tube passageway, the transfer plugs adapted to be secured in position in the area normally securing the drain plugs.

3. The device of the character described in claim 2, in which resilient means are interposed between the transfer plugs and the transfer tubes.

4. For use with an internal combustion engine twin jet carburetor having an air intake and Venturi system combined with a throttle valve and a fuel bowl in which are normally provided twin main jets and twin drain plugs in alignment, a conversion kit containing the parts necessary to form an attachment for ready application to convert said twin jet carburetor to a dual fuel twin jet type carburetor which com prises an auxiliary fuel bowl having an outlet duced neck portion in communication with the longitudinal passageway, twin transfer tubes each having a central passageway, positioned with one end of the tube in said conduit and the other end of the tube engaging a twin main jet and coil springs interposed between the transfer plugs and the transfer tubes to effect fluid tight communication between the transfer plugs and transfer tubes.

5. For use with an internal combustion engine carburetor having an air intake and Venturi system combined with a throttle valve and a fuel bowl in which are normally provided a main jet and a drain plug in alignment, a conversion kit containing the parts necessary to form an attachment for ready application to convert said carburetor to a dual fuel type carburetor which comprises an auxiliary fuel bowl having a float system, a supply tube provided with a longitudinal passageway and a transverse passageway integrally attached to the auxiliary fuel bowl, a transfer plug having a hexagon head, a shoulder, a washer accommodated on the shoulder, a reduced neck portion provided with a series of ports and a thread portion, said thread portion being interchangeable with the drain plug threads, a conduit centrally located in the thread portion communicates with the series of ports and is located in said transverse passageway with the washer abutting the supply tube and the series of ports in fluid communication with said longitudinal passageway, a transfer tube having reduced end outside diameters and a central passageway is positioned with one reduced diameter end snugly fit in said conduit for fluid tight communication and the other re, duced diameter engaging the main jet in tight communication and a spring interposed be tween the end of the transfer plug and the trans fer tube, the central passageway connecting said conduit and the main jet orifice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,924,595 Chandler Aug. 29, 1933 2,080,617 Madariaga May 18, 1937 2,207,533 Chaflin July 9, 19% 2,319,773 Ericscn May 18, 1943 2,482,102 Dahle Sept. 20, 1949 2,533,097 Dale Dec. 5, 195% 2,611,592 Anderson Sept. 1952 

